Wednesday, May 02, 2007

How Not to Review A Book

While I'm trying to finish last month's book review, was thinking about this post by reviewer jonathan mccalmont and this reply by SF bastard gabe chouinard (both propagators of the upcoming reviews mag Scalpel, which is set to go live on May 15).

Ironically, my books posts are not how to do a book review, especially the "street-level criticism" being pushed by C&G, given the lack of time I sometimes have in posting on my blog. Hence the book round-up for the month style, which is kinda useless because I usually only have enough space to describe a book in a small paragraph and then say why I like it or not, and some other thought that struck me as I read the book. Nothing more, nothing less.

But I wouldn't mind doing a "real" review of a book, especially since I have a habit of citing this trivia or that fact about another book (see my citation on Brackett/Stover). Yanno, go the whole mile.

Which is why I'm reaaaally trying to finish John Meaney's Bone Song (the UK Gollancz edition) as soon as possible. Given how new it is, I figure I should strike while the iron is hot. (Oh look! Rob has a review on SFFWorld! And so does Nethspace! And there's a piece each at Guardian and Times Online! Dammit, when did I read start to read so slow?)

astro: Heh will to put a sample up but am having a hard time doing so because unfortunately, the story didn't really click with me despite the incredible setting. Maybe I should have tried his SF books first?

gabe: Yeah, yeah, yeah ;-)

... Right now, I've started already the review. Good thing I finished the book last weekend. Even better, I was already formulating how the review would go before I finished the book, yes?

Dies: Words

Quotes

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity. ALBERT EINSTEIN

I am still shocked that so many people are not more creative, by which I mean more demanding of themselves. The main question we need to ask ourselves is: Do I try to be necessary to the evolution of language? Do I try to be original? And being original means using the tools necessary to be original, not just having the desire to be original. PIERRE BOULEZ

Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death....Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. BERTRAND RUSSELL

I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us... We need the books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us. FRANZ KAFKA

Obviously, then, I think a good critic in any field is a useful citizen, who is positively obliged to be harsh toward bad work. By a good critic, I mean a man with a good ear, a love for his field at best, and a broad and detailed knowledge of the techniques of the field. JAMES BLISH